Salmond to resign as first minister of Scotland

Alex Salmond has announced he will resign as the first minister of Scotland and Scottish National Party (SNP) leader after Thursday’s referendum saw the pro-independence vote lose by a larger-than-expected 10-point margin.

Salmond, who has been at the forefront of Scottish politics for at least a decade, said “it is time to give someone else a chance”.

He described his years as the first minister as “the privilege of my life”.